Against the Rules
by December21st
Summary: John and Elizabeth’s relationship is against the rules, so when they’re caught, there are consequences.


"Against the Rules"

By December21st

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Summary: John and Elizabeth's relationship is against the rules, so when they're caught, there are consequences.

Beta: Thanks to **So_out_of_ideas** for beta reading.

A/N: This piece is a response to all the fics where John and Elizabeth are caught in a relationship that's against the rules, and there aren't any consequences. It actually grew out of a very interesting discussion in the "John & Elizabeth" community on LiveJournal asking what rules Sheppard and Weir would be breaking if they were in a relationship, although this fic doesn't really comply with the conclusions reached in that discussion.

John found Elizabeth sitting on a bench, feeding the ducks clustered by the small duck pond. He sat next to her without a word, pulling a slice of bread out of the bag she held and dividing it up for the small crowd of ducks clustered around their feet. They continued feeding the ducks in silence until the bag was empty, their fickle friends wandering off in search of someone else to feed them. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her to him, her head resting against his shoulder.

"So that's it. It's all over," he said bluntly. Stating the obvious.

"Yup," she agreed, not moving.

"Not what I expected," he observed.

"What exactly did you expect, John?" Elizabeth responded, drawing away to look at him.

"A little gratitude, maybe? We risked our lives for them, and as soon as we make one little mistake, they dump us like a bad date," he argued.

"One little mistake?" she asked softly, her expression indecipherable.

He turned abruptly to look at her, an unspoken apology flitting across his face. "That's not what I meant," he told her, caressing her cheek with the hand not resting on her shoulder. He leaned in and kissed her softly for a moment. "And you know it."

"Yes, I do. It's just that risking our lives was part of the job. Yours more than mine, admittedly. And what we did wasn't just breaking a rule once – it was a regular violation of regulations for over a year," Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

"You sound like the prosecutor at our hearing," John told her resignedly.

"I do," she agreed. "But you have to admit, they were right. What we did was … inappropriate."

"I just wish …" his thought trailed off.

"What? That they'd patted us on the hand, told us they couldn't live without us – that no one could possibly do our jobs as well as we did, so we're exempt from the rules? Elect us King and Queen of Atlantis for good measure?" she suggested, smiling.

"That sounds good," he grinned at her.

"Dr. Mainwaring will do just fine in my place. He has an excellent reputation -- keeps his head in a crisis, from what I hear. Atlantis needs that. And Colonel Caldwell …"

"If I had to be replaced, I'm glad it was him," John admitted. "He's a good man. I'm glad he didn't get passed over for the position because he stood up for us at the hearing."

"It could've been worse. I'm sorry that all those people who resigned their positions in Atlantis in protest of our removal as leaders have to find jobs now. It's too bad that didn't make a difference," Elizabeth fretted.

"It didn't matter to the powers that be, but it still made a difference," he corrected her lightly. "It's good to know who your real friends are, when it comes down to it. And most of those people are the best at what they do. They'll land on their feet."

"I know they will. But I'm still allowed to feel guilty about it."

"If that makes you feel better," John told her breezily. "It's too bad General O'Neill couldn't have done more for us."

"He tried his best, John, they all did. But even Jack couldn't suspend the fraternization rules just for us, even if he wanted to. And I happen to know that those rules in particular have caused him a certain amount of heartache over the years, but he still believes in them."

"That's fine for him, Elizabeth, but look where it leaves us."

"Sitting on a park bench feeding the ducks?" she responded teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's true, if this all hadn't happened, we'd be out on our balcony right now, watching the sun set …"

She looked at her watch. "Actually, it's lunchtime on Atlantis now."

"Eating lunch as we watch the sun set …" he grinned boyishly.

"You really are impossible," she told him, smiling as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm impossible? You're the one who thought we could get away with not telling Stargate Command anything once … how did you say it … 'the evidence of our indiscretion' became public knowledge on Atlantis."

"That could have worked!" she responded, faking indignation and fighting a giggle.

"Elizabeth, two people can keep a secret. Two hundred people cannot. Not to mention the crew of the Daedalus." John insisted.

"Okay, you may have a point," she conceded. "But it's moot now. We need to figure out what we're going to do now, not what we should have done differently in the past."

"I wouldn't change a thing," he told her, his mood switching abruptly from playful to romantic, his eyes drinking in the sight of the woman at his side.

"That's very sweet, John," she paused to rest her head against his shoulder again. "But we need to make some decisions. Teyla offered us a home with the Athosians. If we stay on Earth, at least one of us should get a job before the baby's born …"

"Tomorrow, Elizabeth. Tonight, we feel sorry for ourselves. Tomorrow really is the first day of the rest of our lives."


End file.
